The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea paniculata, a member of the Hydrangeaceae family, hereinafter referred to as ‘HYPMAD I’. This cultivar is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscape use and for use as fresh cut and dried flowers. The cultivar originated from open-pollination of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pink Diamond’ (unpatented), the pollen door being unknown. It was selected at the University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. in 2001, from the progeny seedlings of this open pollination by continued evaluation for large, glistening white sepals that cover the interior fertile flowers, stout stems that hold the paniculate inflorescences upright, leathery, dark green, heat and drought tolerant foliage, and compact growth habit.
‘HYPMAD I’ is distinguished from its female parent ‘Pink Diamond’ by its sepals (sterile florets) that form a solid white panicle and completely cover the fertile interior flowers. The sepals emerge light green, open glistening white, and mature green to parchment, maintaining the latter color when utilized as dried flowers. The sepals never develop the pronounced pink color of ‘Pink Diamond’. ‘HYPMAD I’ has stout, thickish stems that hold the inflorescences upright, whereas in side-by-side comparisons, ‘Pink Diamond’ inflorescences splay and bend.
‘HYPMAD I’ has leathery, thick, dark green leaves that are more heat and drought resistant than the lighter green, thinnish leaves of ‘Pink Diamond’. ‘HYPMAD I’ develops a compact growth habit, 120 cm by 160 cm after 4 years, whereas ‘Pink Diamond’ was 185 cm by 185 cm at the same age in side-by-side comparisons.
‘HYPMAD I’ holds its inflorescences more upright than many H. paniculata varieties, and the inflorescence is denser, more completely covered with sterile florets, than most, and it does not mature to a pink color of the dense inflorescence types such as ‘Grandiflora’ (unpatented), ‘Webb's’ (unpatented) or ‘Little Lamb’ (unpatented).